Cargo containers, such as intermodal containers, freight containers, ISO containers, shipping containers, hi-cube containers or the like, are generally metallic structures vastly used to transport items or materials over land via roadways or railways or via sea transportation. In military applications, for example, cargo containers may be used to transport equipment or shelters for various military operations. In civilian applications, cargo containers may be used to transport a variety of different types of equipment or materials. Cargo containers can also be used to temporarily or permanently store objects.
Conventional cargo containers typically include a floor, walls extending from the floor and a roof on the walls. One or more doors may be provided in the walls of the containers. Containers can also typically include fasteners, or fastening portions to which fasteners can be coupled, to allow securing the containers during loading, unloading and transportation. For instance, ISO containers include eight ISO connectors, one at each corner of the container, for attaching ISO compliant fasteners.
Loading and unloading of cargo containers onto or from ships, trains or other means of transportation or storage can be carried out by various means. For instance, vertically lifting cranes can be used to load and unload containers in large vessels or freights. Alternatively, reach stackers can be used for stacking a reduced number of containers, such as onto a train.
Loading and unloading a container onto a truck or other vehicle trailer is also possible. For this purpose, vehicle trailer systems are known in the art comprising a tiltable trailer bed and a winch capable of dragging the container onto the trailer bed. A front side of the container is initially lifted from the ground by inserting a wedge underneath the container front end (by pure force). The container is then dragged onto a tilted trailer bed which is coupled to a towing vehicle. After the container is loaded, the trailer is tilted to a generally horizontal transport position for transport of the container to the desired destination.
During loading, friction between the container and the trailer may be considerable. Thus, power which is expended in the loading process may be high. In addition, misalignments between the container and the trailer bed may greatly hinder loading of the container, as alignment cannot be corrected due to the elevated friction between the trailer bed and the container. This is an important drawback, as in practice it can be very difficult to achieve an optimum longitudinal alignment between the trailer and the container for loading.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a vehicle trailer system which is suitable for loading, transporting and unloading a load such as a cargo container, which allows for simple and effective loading, transportation and unloading of a cargo container on and from a trailer without damaging the container or its contents, and is thus valid for transporting virtually any kind of cargo including fragile items.